Gunshots, Looting, Burning Police Car: Ferguson Protests Turn Violent

A police officer runs by a burning police car in Ferguson on Nov. 24 (Getty Images)

Protests quickly grew violent Monday night in Ferguson, Missouri after a grand jury decided not to indict police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown. Shots have been fired, looting has been reported and at least one police cruiser was set on fire.

Protesters threw rocks, bottles, batteries and even allegedly a molotov cocktail at the police. A group of protesters could be seen waiting outside the Ferguson police station for the decision to come down, as officers in riot gear stood watch in the area.

The grand jury’s decision was announced at 9 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. local time in Missouri. Shortly after the announcement, President Barack Obama held a news conference from the White House, carried nationwide across most networks.

Meanwhile, the situation in St. Louis continued to escalate Monday night. By 11 p.m. local time in St. Louis, protesters had completely blocked I-44, a major highway running through St. Louis City and County. Additionally, there were multiple reports of various businesses on fire, including a Little Caesar’s restaurant, Sams Meat Market and a storage facility. Video carried live on CNN also showed a store being looted.

Ferguson Fallout: The Scene Following Decision Not to Indict Officer Darren Wilson (Photos)

Police officers march by a burning squad car during a demonstration in Ferguson, Missouri on Nov. 24, 2014.

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Looters run out of a store in Ferguson, Missouri on Nov. 24, 2014.

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Looters break into a business during unrest in Ferguson, Missouri on Nov. 24, 2014.

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A protester is surrounded by tear gas in Ferguson, Missouri on Nov. 24, 2014.

CNN Reporter Sara Sidner was hit in the head with a rock while covering the Ferguson unrest on Nov. 24, 2014.

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Protesters march in New York City following the grand jury decision in Missouri, Nov. 24, 2014.

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Protesters march through the streets of New York City after learning Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson would not be charged, Nov. 24, 2014.

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A woman faces police officers on the Harbor Freeway (110) in Los Angeles during a protest against the Ferguson grand jury decision on Nov. 24, 2014.

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Protesters gather outside a shopping center in the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles on Nov. 24, 2014.

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Protesters in Beverly Hills block traffic at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Rodeo Dr. in reaction to the Ferguson grand jury decision on Nov. 24, 2014.

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Protesters gather outside the White House after the Ferguson grand jury decision on Nov. 24, 2014.

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Hundreds of protesters, many of them Howard University students, gather outside the White House after the Ferguson grand jury decision on Nov. 24, 2014.

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President Barack Obama calls for calm during a news conference in Washington, DC after the grand jury's decision on Nov. 24, 2014.

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Brown family attorney Benjamin Crump speaks during a press conference about the Ferguson grand jury decision in Dellwood, Missouri on Nov. 25, 2014.

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A worker cleans up glass at a business that was damaged during a demonstration following the grand jury decision in Ferguson, Missouri on Nov. 25, 2014.

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Ferguson Mayor James W. Knowles III addresses the delayed deployment of the National Guard at a press conference in Ferguson, Missouri on Nov. 25, 2014.

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Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon speaks about the widespread rioting and looting following the Ferguson grand jury decision during a news conference on Nov. 25, 2014.

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Missouri national guardsmen line up in front of the Ferguson police station on Nov. 25, 2014, ready to be deployed a day after demonstrators caused extensive damage in the city after the grand jury decision.

A protester sits in the back of a Los Angles Police Department transport bus in the early morning hours of Nov. 26, 2014, after being arrested at a protest against the Ferguson grand jury decision.

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Police arrest a Ferguson protester during the early morning hours of Nov. 26, 2014.

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A protester has her eyes flushed after being pepper sprayed by police in Ferguson on Nov. 26, 2014.

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Protesters turned over a police car during a demonstration on Nov. 25, 2014 in Ferguson.

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Lesley McSpadden, mother of Michael Brown Jr., attends a press conference in New York City on Nov. 26, 2014 to pray and address the events of the last few days.

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Protesters set up barricades and block the 101 freeway in Los Angeles following the Ferguson grand jury decision, during a protest on Nov. 25, 2014.

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Violence erupts in Ferguson, and protests are held across the country after a grand jury decided Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson would not face criminal charges in the shooting death of Michael Brown

Police officers march by a burning squad car during a demonstration in Ferguson, Missouri on Nov. 24, 2014.